On 5 July representatives from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) visited Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) to discuss opportunities for collaboration. This visit coincided with VU Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra’s Latvian concert tour, a cultural gift by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in celebration of Latvia’s Centenary.

During the visit to RSU, various forms of collaboration were explored, including student mobilities, guest-lecturing, university staff exchanges, summer schools, international weeks and others.

On 5 July at 15:00 in an open session of Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Medical Promotion Council to be held in the Hippocrates Lecture Theatre (16 Dzirciema iela, Rīga) Dins Šmits will defend his doctoral thesis “Treatment adherence of asthma patients in Latvia and factors related to adherence”. 

The largest gathering of local and diaspora researchers and industry representatives – IV World Congress of Latvian Scientists was closed with the recommendation to proclaim 2019 as the Year of Science and Higher Education.  The congress was attended by 750 participants from 24 countries.

From 22 to 24 June RSU folk dance group Ačkups participated in the 18th Baltic Student Song and Dance Festival Gaudeamus in Tartu, Estonia. The concert programme was devoted to the summer solstice, combining traditional and contemporary forms of expression. The student festival was attended by RSU rector Professor Aigars Pētersons.

The annual RSU award in the category Researcher of the Year was presented to RSU professor Oskars Kalējs from the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Diseases, cardiologist at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital. The award is recognition for his active involvement and contribution to the supervision of student research work and for the increasing interest of students in science. 

On 13 June RSU had invited over 50 RSU student-athletes and their coaches to a symbolic end-of-season awards ceremony at RSU Senate Hall to honour the achievements of RSU student-athletes in individual and team sports, e.g. 28th Latvian Universiade, 34th International SELL Student Games, etc.  One of our students was also standing on the pedestal at the Lattelecom Rīga Marathon – Jaakko Nieminen, a medical student from Finland, who earned the silver medal in the 10 km race for the second year in a row. 

These days it is hard to think of a day spent without a computer or the Internet. We use various devices and tools to learn languages, plan trips, make business contacts etc. The problem emerges when the thin line is crossed between using the computer purposefully and being addicted to its use.

Three months provided plenty of time for Italian nurse Lisa Tessari to gain valuable experience at the Children’s Clinical University Hospital and the Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital, migrating to a new ward each week, following the daily work of various intensive care, emergency medicine, surgery and therapy units every day. Although Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) welcomes incoming Erasmus+ students from Italian universities every year, Lisa is the first exchange student in Nursing.

These days knowledge is not bound by national borders. For modern universities, strong international engagement in the global exchange of knowledge is significant. The diversity of today’s university stakeholders and the turbulent geopolitical climate require a much more complex understanding of the many facets of internationalisation.